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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28731741">the flower that blooms in adversity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/docklands/pseuds/docklands'>docklands</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Direction (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha Louis Tomlinson, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Anal Rimming, Anal Sex, Camping, First Times, Fluff, Harry eating fruit, Humiliation kink, Lactation Kink, Light Angst, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Praise Kink, Pregnancy Kink, Unlabeled Harry Styles, Unsafe Sex, Virgin Harry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:28:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,677</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28731741</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/docklands/pseuds/docklands</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is twenty-six and he hasn't presented yet. He lives in London with his alpha best friend, Niall, who invites him to a New Year's camping trip with his other alpha mates. Amidst them, there's the always sharp Louis, who has a knack for observation and dirt under his toenails. Harry ends up agreeing on going, unaware he's leaving for the trip of a lifetime.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>406</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the flower that blooms in adversity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! This was, without a doubt, the quickest fic I've ever written. It was supposed to be just a short smut, but the words kept coming and I kept writing them down! I apologise if there are any mistakes. I hope you like it just as much as I've liked writing it. </p><p>Also, Happy (belated) New Year!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It all started with Niall, as it often did. Harry was twenty-six and spending his first New Year’s away from home, which stirred some anxiety. Niall, his confidant and flat mate, came up with the cure, suggesting he should tag along with him on his camping trip. He started going five years prior and never stopped, the agreement becoming a tradition among him and his childhood best friends.</p><p>“I’m going to be all by myself there and it’s going to be awful,” Harry moaned in complaint, packing his bags nonetheless.</p><p>“Don’t be a drama queen,” Niall threw a sock at him.</p><p>“They’re <em> your </em> friends, not mine,” Harry gesticulated as he stuffed clothes inside his duffle with anger, “it’s perfectly reasonable to fear they may not like me.”</p><p>“Everyone’s super chill! If anything, they’ll be happy to see a new face. I wouldn’t invite you along if they weren’t nice, mate.”</p><p>Harry gave him a pointed look.</p><p>“I know they’re all alphas, but they’re good ones. I swear.” He took a hand to his heart.</p><p>“What if they think I’m a fucking freak?” Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, his t-shirt folding forgotten.</p><p>“Not everyone’s role gets assigned before adulthood and you know that. It will happen–”</p><p>“When it happens, I know. Please, stop sounding like my mum.”</p><p>In hindsight, Harry really missed his mum. It was hard to fathom she was spending the holidays without him. She had always been quite controlling, especially, after finding out about Harry’s condition. Even still, he never loved her any less. He tried not to let that thought get to him too much, as he had bigger problems on the horizon.</p><p>“Alright, alright.” Niall lifted his hands in surrender. “But you’ve gotta hurry or the traffic will be unbearable.”</p><p>Harry just sighed, defeated, and went back to packing. </p><p>Moving to a big city on his own had been hard enough. Most people were respectful of the fact Harry hadn’t presented yet, but there were always the ones who would bump into him on purpose just to say they didn’t see him. He had no scent, no bond mark, no right to vote or to obtain a passport – no identity at all, in the eyes of many and, sometimes, in his own.</p><p>Being with Niall’s friends would be a bold move on socialising, considering Harry’s past experiences. Besides, it was either tagging along or spending New Year’s by himself at their tiny apartment, while everyone would be away with their family and friends.</p><p>“Are you done?!” Niall shouted from the bathroom, applying his scent neutraliser so Harry wouldn’t be overwhelmed in the car.</p><p>“Yeah! Should I take swimming trunks?”</p><p>“Definitely,” his head popped out of the door jamb. “Get those little orange shorts of yours. Your ass always looks nice.”</p><p>Harry cackled, a bit embarrassed by his best friend’s remark. “You got it.”</p><p>Half an hour later, they were on the road. Niall’s old car was noisy, but it got the job done.</p><p>“Will you pass me the Cheetos?” Niall said as he already munched on some chips, doing his best to keep his eyes on the road as he drove.</p><p>“You know we’re supposed to eat these when we’re camping, right?”</p><p>“Harry, come on,” he quickly glanced at him, “don’t be a git. I need carbohydrates.”</p><p>“Yeah, but not Cheetos!” Harry tossed the packet to the back seat.</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>“Can you focus, please? I’m nervous enough! I don’t need to worry about getting in a car crash as well, okay?!”</p><p>Niall was taken aback by the outburst, slowing the car down. “Sorry, mate. I...didn’t know you felt that way.”</p><p>Harry huffed, looking out the window so he wouldn’t face his friend. </p><p>“Do you want to go home? I can call it off and stay with you instead.”</p><p>“No. I’m just antsy,” he turned to Niall and took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “I’m sorry. I know you’re a good driver.”</p><p>Niall just laughed and nodded, accepting his apology, and went back to driving.</p><p>Deep down, he wished he could relate to Harry’s feelings, but the truth was that he never really had issues with self confidence. He presented as an alpha when he was fourteen, one of the first ones in their high school class. From that moment on, it had been smooth sailing. He started being showered with attention and privileges left and right everywhere he went and it never stopped.</p><p>For Harry, however, it had been the polar opposite. While Niall was in an alpha university, Harry was still working as a bartender simply because he was too scared to enroll in a mixed class to pursue his dream of attending law school.</p><p>His mother hoped he’d present as an alpha, as the lawyer world was never very welcoming to betas or omegas. There was a time when Harry shared the same sentiment, but that was long gone. At that point, he would be anything, as long as he was something.</p><p>Throughout his teen years, he had been to several doctors. The most expensive and qualified specialists couldn’t find anything wrong with him, his glands or his medical history, which just fuelled his anxiety. It was far from common to still not have presented at his age, but it was possible and there were plenty of clinical trials to back it up. All the doctors told Harry the very same thing – that he would just have to wait and see.</p><p>Harry had tried it all whilst he was growing up. Yoga to balance his chakras, pilates to stimulate his glands, hormone therapy, vitamins and every possible kind of insane diet. His efforts not only ended up being in vain, but also frustrated him to the point of no return. With time, he lost all hope.</p><p>“Harry. We’re here.” Niall nudged his sleeping body with little care, a bit annoyed.</p><p>Harry had been falling asleep pretty much everywhere those days. He had told Niall he was just feeling drained from his extra hours at work, but it didn’t seem to change even when he was on break. Whatever it was, Niall decided not to push it.</p><p>Harry opened his achy eyes, rubbing them with the back of his hands. He sat up straight, taking a second to examine his surroundings.</p><p>Most of the place was crowded with vertiginously high trees. A clear river was cutting the way, flowing calmly. In the back, Harry could see a few trailer parks and some scattered tents that were already armed.</p><p>“Is that where we’re headed?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Niall nodded, “that’s where Louis’ campsite is.”</p><p>“Louis?”</p><p>“He lives in Manchester. Haven’t seen him in a while. Good lad, that one.”</p><p>Harry just hummed in agreement and they got on their way to unload their stuff from the car.</p><p>Getting there, the campsite was a lot more spacious than it looked from afar. The grass was well cut and clean, it had an actual bathroom and a beautiful fire pit made of large polished stones.</p><p>“This isn’t too bad,” Harry keened, not pessimistic about it for the first time.</p><p>“See? Told you. We’re gonna have fun.” Niall jogged in front of him to greet his friends, some already waving at them.</p><p>Harry followed along with heavy steps, unsure of how to behave.</p><p>“Come on, Harry,” Niall ushered him to it. “These are Zayn, Liam and good old Louis, the one that makes our trips possible,” he motioned to each one of them.</p><p>“Hi,” Harry waved awkwardly instead of hugging them like Niall did, “nice to meet you all,” he tried a smile, ignoring the shrill in his own voice.</p><p>Niall’s friends' scents were intoxicating. Harry had never felt his nose being so stimulated or such a violent goosebump go through his spine. He wished they had scent neutralisers on like Niall did. </p><p>Suddenly, his knees went a little weak and he teetered on his feet to hold his ground.</p><p>“Easy there,” Liam held Harry’s shoulders, sensing his sheer discomfort. “Are you an omega, by any chance?” He genuinely asked, since he couldn’t smell anything on Harry.</p><p>“He hasn’t presented yet,” Niall answered for Harry in an attempt to make him less uneasy.</p><p>Harry just nodded in agreement, hyper conscious of Liam’s big and warm hands on him. At least, he wouldn’t fall on his face while being held.</p><p>“I think he’ll present as an alpha,” Zayn gleamed, offering him a handshake as he shamelessly stared at Harry’s figure. “And join our little club!”</p><p>Harry complied, extending his own hand and returning Zayn’s smile as he wished he could shrink into the soil and stay buried forever.</p><p>“Nice to meet you, Harry. I hope you like it enough to join us every year from now.” Louis greeted him from afar, for which Harry was deeply thankful.</p><p>Louis was shorter than the rest of the boys, Harry noticed. His stance was stiffer, however, like the dominance just oozed from his bones.</p><p>“I bet I will. Thank you for having me,” he dangled his skinny fingers in an improvised wave at Louis.</p><p>Eventually, they started arming their tents and getting the booze out from their igloos for the night. The sky was dark, but the many lit fire pits kept the place clear, a soft yellowish light washing over it.</p><p>Harry sat on a tree trunk next to Niall as they watched the rest of the boys organise their improvised luau. The chattering was fun and light and it was clear that they were trying to include Harry as much as possible, even if he was a tad reluctant and a little too awkward in his natural haste.</p><p>“Where do you study, Harry?” Liam asked as he got some marshmallows ready.</p><p>“I don’t. Not yet, at least. I...work at a coffee shop.”</p><p>“In this case, think you can be in charge of the drinks?” Zayn chimed in, pointing at the countless bottles of liquor stamped with labels Harry didn’t know how to pronounce.</p><p>“Yeah,” he breathed out, a bit anxious for being the centre of the conversation, “no problem. I only serve frappuccinos, though, never marguerites.”</p><p>Louis fully laughed at that, glancing at him from where he was busy with the logs. Harry would volunteer to help him out, he really would, if he wasn’t so intimidated by all of them – and by the bulge of Louis’ biceps.</p><p>“We trust you, mate,” Niall encouraged him with a light squeeze to his shoulder.</p><p>The boys carried on with their conversation, in high expectations of tasting Harry’s drinks.</p><p>“It’s a bit chilly, isn’t it?” Harry broke his silence as he rubbed his arms, trembling a little.</p><p>“Not at all, I don’t think,” Liam disagreed, already shirtless, even though his hair was dancing with the wind.</p><p>It was common knowledge that alphas often had better circulation and more physical endurance, but knowing so wasn’t any less frustrating to Harry’s malfunctioning body.</p><p>“I’ll go grab my jumper,” Harry decided.</p><p>He was ducked down, rummaging through his clothes in his tent, mentally reprimanding himself for having packed so many shorts and crop tops. He wouldn’t even have enough opportunities to wear all of that, he realised.</p><p>“Need a hand?” A voice behind him spoke, making Harry jump in surprise.</p><p>“Hi, Louis,” he turned around, scrambling to stand up. “No, I…just can’t seem to find my jumper.” He grimaced, not sure why he was feeling so shy. For once in his life, he wished he wouldn’t need to ask for help.</p><p>In hindsight, he didn’t know how he didn’t realise Louis had left the fire pit. Perhaps, they left at the same time.</p><p>“I can borrow you one.”</p><p>Harry’s cheeks flushed and he opened his mouth to refuse, but no words came out.</p><p>“If you want?” Louis softened his offer, taking a step closer. </p><p>Harry stuttered for a second. “Yeah. Okay. Thank you.”</p><p>“My tent is the red one,” he pointed to it so Harry would follow him, “right over there.”</p><p>“Quite close to mine,” Harry smiled, hinting at his dimples.</p><p>“Very close.”</p><p>“Umm,” he tried to choose his words. “What were you doing back here?”</p><p>“Calling me dad. He always misses me the most around this time of the year,” Louis’ tone subdued as he remembered the reason behind it.</p><p>“I get that,” Harry gave him a sympathetic look. He wanted to ask more, but he didn’t know how to do so without being intrusive.</p><p>While they were walking, Harry took some time to drink Louis in. He was in a pair of jean shorts and a black tank top – and both did very little to conceal his stark tattoos and strong arms. His feet were bare, padding across the soil with grace. Harry noticed he had dirt under his nails. He just shrugged it off, guessing Louis was probably just more inclined to being around nature.</p><p>“What about you? Did the boys scare you off?” Louis tantalised with a smirk in his voice.</p><p>“No!” Harry laughed. “I was just cold. They’re lovely.”</p><p>“Lovely? Not sure if that’s the word, but they’re alright,” Louis glanced at him. The way his voice went up an octave and sounded like wind chimes made Harry shiver.</p><p>“This place is too. Lovely, that is,” Harry mirrored his look.</p><p>“On that, I agree with you,” Louis sighed dreamily, almost affectionately.</p><p>“There are so many other camping sites in England, though. Why come so far away?” </p><p>“Well, me dad owns the land,” Louis shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.</p><p>“You mean your part of the camp?”</p><p>“Oh, no, no.” He opened his arms theatrically. “The entire thing, really.”</p><p>Harry gasped in awe. He couldn’t possibly guess how much a place like that was worth. </p><p>“Yeah,” Louis sniggered nonchalantly, “this bit has always belonged to my family. We eventually bought the rest and started to rent it to other campers. It’s always particularly busy during holidays. We love it.”</p><p>Harry's face bloomed in amusement, “I’m starting to understand why Niall likes it here so much. It does have its own special glow,” he caught Louis’ eye with a glint.</p><p>“It does.” He stopped walking when they reached his tent. “Just give me a second.”</p><p>Harry nodded, taking a step back so Louis could have some privacy. He bounced on the heels of his feet, noticing the mess inside Louis’ tent. </p><p>There were clothes and bottles everywhere, which was odd, considering they had just gotten there. He felt like he was prying, but it was hard to look away. Were Niall’s friends alphas who slept with other alphas? Would that be the reason why Louis’ tent looked like it had gone through a tornado?</p><p>“Here,” Louis got out of the tent with a navy blue knitted jumper in hands, “I think this one should fit you.”</p><p>“Thank you so much. I’ll give it back as soon as I stop shaking,” he chuckled from how his teeth were clanking against each other.</p><p>“You keep it, yeah?” He gave it to Harry. “It will look better on you anyway.”</p><p>Harry ignored the heat in his stomach he got from the compliment and put the jumper on quickly. It was very warm, thank God. Just like Louis had predicted, it fit him perfectly, the hem sitting just above his hip bones. “I really appreciate it.”</p><p>“No worries. Let’s go back? Liam must be done with the s’mores by now.”</p><p>Harry nodded and they went. </p><p>There wasn’t a lot of conversation on the way back, just casual remarks about the scenery or Louis making sure his friends were treating Harry well.</p><p>Even though Harry was trying hard to focus on his questions, something he couldn’t pinpoint was clouding his senses. The scent from Louis’ jumper felt weirdly strong on his body. He thought, maybe, it was low blood pressure. He needed to sit down.</p><p>There was something so rustic about Louis, Harry decided. Niall’s friends looked and behaved like city playboys, but Louis was the only one with a thick scruff on his chiselled jaw and who seemed to be there for the trees and the wind rather than for the bender. And his rustiness wasn’t off putting at all. Actually, it was rather raunchy. </p><p>“Just rescuing your mate back from the wilderness,” Louis said when they arrived and he saw Niall chugging a bottle of liquor like it was water.</p><p>“Thanks, bro,” Niall cleaned his mouth with the back of his hand like a pirate. “You comfy now, Harry?” He guffawed at how Harry was hiding his hands in the sleeves of the jumper.</p><p>“<em>So</em> comfy,” Harry said as he rubbed his arms with a pleasant sigh, sitting beside Niall again.</p><p>The evening went by nicely. All of the alphas drank plenty and were speaking in gibberish in no time. Harry had his share of alcohol as well, just enough to get him fuzzy and a bit more uninhibited.</p><p>He quickly found out he wasn’t talented at all at the art of making marguerites and stuck solely to mixing vodka with fizzy drinks instead. It was far from classy, but it tasted good and got everyone drunk. The boys were happy with it, indulging Harry either way.</p><p>“I’m telling you, it wasn’t like that.” Louis barked out a laugh, snapping Harry out of his reveries. </p><p>“It was, they were all over you, man,” Zayn insisted as he munched loudly on a marshmallow. His sentences were slurred and blending with one another.</p><p>Harry immediately regretted having spaced out. He was curious.</p><p>“Who was?” The words let his mouth before he could think twice – probably, the alcohol to blame.</p><p>“Some girls back in uni. They thought Louis was straight,” Liam cackled out loud like it was the most hysterical thing ever. </p><p>The other boys laughed too. Harry did not.</p><p>“He isn’t?” Harry asked, unsure of why his insides were churning.</p><p>“I’m not,” Louis grinned with intention as he held a tall bottle, “sorry to disappoint.”</p><p>“Me neither.”</p><p>Harry wasn’t sure why he said it. Nobody asked about him. He wasn’t the subject of the story. He wasn’t even in the story, for starters. The dizziness was back.</p><p>“We’re going to be friends, then,” Louis offered him a drunk shrug, taking a sip of liquor.</p><p>Louis’ jumper felt too hot and tight on Harry’s skin. </p><p>“We’re friends already!” Zayn hugged Harry’s neck, unaware of the actual weight on Louis’ sentence as he spilled some soda into Niall’s knee.</p><p>Harry indulged him, embracing him back even if his breath reeked of cheap alcohol. “We are, yeah. Thank you,” he whispered.</p><p>“What for?” Liam asked.</p><p>“For taking me in,” he smiled shyly.</p><p>“I told you they were all gentlemen, Harry,” Niall mocked, knowing they looked nothing like so in their sweaty clothes and loud remarks, owning the sleepless night.</p><p>The thing was Louis kept staring at Harry, pleasantly loopy in his particular drunken haze. Every time Harry took his bottle to his lips, Louis’ blue eyes coldly glanced at him, the bold act perfectly private, thanks to the other boys’ obliviousness and the moonlight.</p><p>Harry would have an opinion about it if his throat wasn’t burning all the way down. Probably, from drinking too much and not eating enough. The camp felt far away, blurred at the edge of his eyes. He could see the boys were talking to each other, but he couldn’t make up their words too well. He would take a painkiller as soon as he got back to his tent.</p><p>When they were impossibly tipsy and gross, the sun was already peeking on the horizon and they decided to end their little party and put the trash away.</p><p>“Are you going to get some sleep?” Niall rubbed Harry’s back, still smartly warmed up by the jumper. “Louis is inviting us for a swim.”</p><p>“Umm,” he looked up at Niall, furrowing his brows at the rising sun, “I’ll join you guys after a nap, if that’s okay.”</p><p>“Sure, mate. Bathrooms are over there if you want to have a wash,” Niall pointed with his thumb.</p><p>Niall was gone without saying another word – or, maybe, he did and Harry didn’t process it as anything more than white noise. </p><p>Either way, Harry was alone, slumping on the tree trunk. At a distance, he could listen to the boys jumping in the river, screaming at the top of what was left of their lungs.</p><p>Harry’s entire body hurt and his migraine was jackknifing through his eye sockets. The burn in his esophagus felt like a loose cannon ready to fire. This wasn’t how he thought he’d spend the last night of the year – alone and sick in the middle of nowhere.</p><p>“Fuck,” he stood up with a jolt when reflux hit, tripping over his feet as he made his way to the bathroom.</p><p>He barely made it to the toilet before throwing up everything he had drunk throughout the night. He gagged furiously, feeling more and more puke shoot up from his esophagus by the second. Every time he thought he was done, there was more.</p><p>Panting, he sat on the dirty floor and leaned his tired head on the wall. He closed his eyes, trying to stabilise his breathing. </p><p>Of course he knew he should have eaten something other than s’mores along with all the booze; he was old enough to know how that would end up. It didn’t feel like alcohol, though, from the way his fingertips were buzzing weirdly and from how his ears were ringing like a killer wasp trapped inside his skull.</p><p>Unsteadily, he tried to stand up, only to fall right back again, sliding down the cold tiles. They were providing some relief to how hot he was feeling, as if one hundred lit up matches were prodding at his vertebrae.</p><p>He fiddled with his pockets, looking for his cellphone, only to realise he had left it at the tent.</p><p>“Niall!” He shouted instead, his shrill voice breaking. “Help!” </p><p>The only voice he heard was his own, echoing back at him in the empty room as fresh tears slid down his crimson cheeks.</p><p>Eventually, the nausea and the pain abated and he passed out like a forgotten rag doll. </p><p>•</p><p>“Do you think he’s waking up?” A shadow hovered over Harry’s limp body.</p><p>“I don’t know, his lashes keep fluttering. I think he’s dreaming, Niall.”</p><p>“Don’t be fucking dumb, he passed out!” Harry recognised Louis’ voice, tinted with wrath and helplessness behind his clenched teeth. “Go get him some water!”</p><p>Louis was desperate. From the very second he had met Harry, he had been under alert. From his glassy eyes and how his limbs trembled a bit whenever he moved, Louis knew he had to keep an eye on him. He just wished, with every fibre of his being, that his assumptions were wrong. </p><p>Slowly, Harry’s lidded eyes started to open, fighting the salty wetness of his tears. </p><p>“Harry.” Niall called him, snapping his fingers on his face.</p><p>“Don’t do that, you stupid,” Louis reprimanded with a whisper.</p><p>Begrudgingly, Harry’s eyes fully opened. He tried to focus on the shapes before him, but it was all a blur. His pupils were unadjusted against the light and he couldn’t fix it for some reason.</p><p>“There you are,” Louis cooed, holding his head as the other boys held his torso and legs. “Can you name three smells?”</p><p>Harry wished he could sit up and tell them he wasn’t dying, but he wasn’t so sure anymore. No commands were being obeyed by his body and his tongue felt like a piece of stale bread stuffed into his mouth, just taking up space and gagging him.</p><p>“Smells…” he mumbled.</p><p>“He’s alive, thank God, fuck,” Zayn muttered stupidly from where he was holding Harry’s left leg.</p><p>“Yeah,” Louis indulged Harry. “Three of them. Can you?”</p><p>With a heaving chest, Harry inhaled as best as his rusty lungs allowed, searching for something in the violent sea of his mind.</p><p>The chlorophyll filled up his nostrils, wrapping his brain in a lulling motion.</p><p>“Plants,” he said with a hum.</p><p>“How did you know that would work?” Liam nudged Louis’ shoulder.</p><p>“Shh,” Louis reprimanded again, ribbing to vague hostility. “What else, Harry?”</p><p>He focused on how wet the soil was from the splashes of the river and their footprints.</p><p>“The– the earth.”</p><p>“Very good,” Louis encouraged. ”One more.”</p><p>Harry inhaled again, feeling a twinge on his diaphragm, like his lungs’ springs were about to snap. This time, however, it was different. Before he could ponder his probable insanity or the way his heart started beating in his throat like a bomb about to go off, the words left his traitorous mouth.</p><p>“And you.”</p><p>He passed out again.</p><p>•</p><p>“Do you think it’s best if I take him home?” Niall asked, biting his nails with nervousness, crouched inside Harry's tent with Louis as they waited for him to wake up.</p><p>“Maybe. I don’t know Harry like you do. Even though I think it’d be very unwise to trap him inside a car, considering how much he vomited," Louis reasoned.</p><p>“Fuck,” Niall grimaced, “you’re right. And it’s quite the drive.”</p><p>“Has he ever been through something like this before?” Louis said as he opened Harry’s duffle, rummaging through it.</p><p>“Never, no, not that I know of. What are you looking for?”</p><p>“Hmm,” he went through his belongings with no luck. “This is not good.”</p><p>Harry opened his eyes again, listening to his own calm heartbeats.</p><p>“Niall…” he mumbled, reaching a hand to tug at his friend’s shirt, but finding his bare stomach instead, as both him and Louis were only in their swim trunks.</p><p>“God,” the man jumped, “hi, Harry. I’m so relieved. How are you?”</p><p>Such a simple question, albeit one that evoked several different answers in Harry’s chemically imbalanced brain. Tired, confused, hot, claustrophobic, sweaty, helpless, in severe pain.</p><p>“Hungry,” he said instead.</p><p>“Liam and Zayn went to town to buy you something decent to eat, actually. They should be back soon,” Louis said as he zipped Harry’s duffle back up, tossing it to the corner of the tent.</p><p>“Thanks,” he turned to the side, realising someone had changed his clothes and that Louis’ jumper was nowhere to be seen. He missed it. “What– what happened?”</p><p>Niall carded his fingers through Harry’s sweaty curls, a sad smile tugging on his lips. “Louis found you in the bathroom stall. Was looking pretty rough, mate. I took the liberty to give you a quick shower.”</p><p>“Appreciate it, Ni.” He closed his eyes at the caress, unconsciously resting his head against his friend’s soft hand. “You’re a blessing. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“No reason to apologise,” Louis said as he sat on his heels, small droplets of river water still rolling down his chest. “We just want you to feel good. There’s no point in traveling with friends if you’re unwell. Don’t you agree?”</p><p>“Mmhm. I guess so.” He agreed as he noticed Louis’ nails had been cleaned.</p><p>Louis took the back of his hand to Harry’s forehead, pulling away almost immediately.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Niall shrieked in a whisper.</p><p>Louis grimaced, whispering back. “Can I talk to you outside, lad?”</p><p>“Of course, yeah,” Niall moved away from Harry. “Louis and I will be back, okay, Harry? We’ll be right outside. Don’t worry.”</p><p>Harry whined at the loss of contact, but mumbled an annoyed agreement nonetheless.</p><p>So, Niall and Louis left. The sun was vivacious, tingling everything in a delirious amber. Very few things were brighter than a midday sun in the woods. Louis wished he could feel the happiness it radiated. Instead, every rafter of his body was suffused with liquid, invective jealousy and fury.</p><p>“You can’t take care of him, can you,” he spat as soon as he was alone with Niall.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You’re blissfully oblivious.”</p><p>“Louis, I’m not sure–”</p><p>“Hell, yes, you’re not sure! Harry could go into heat under your fucking nose and you wouldn’t realise until his body was six feet under!”</p><p>“Into...heat?” Niall measured the word as it left his mouth, realisation falling over him like a flowy veil.</p><p>“He’s fucking scorching, Niall,” Louis hissed like a vindictive snake. He couldn’t help but sound patronising.</p><p>“It may be a cold? Harry once told me he doesn’t have a proper immune system yet.”</p><p>“I almost burned my damn hand,” Louis enunciated slowly, marking his syllables.</p><p>Niall hummed, considering their options. “What do we do if you’re right?”</p><p>“Not sure,” Louis bit his lip in worry. “I went through both his duffle and everything I brought in mine and none of us have anything that can be used as an emergency kit.”</p><p>“Well, you’ve dealt with this before, right? Omegas during first heats?”</p><p>“Not like this, but, yes.”</p><p>“Louis. Look at me.”</p><p>He did, reluctant, his heart beating like a hummingbird in his chest cavity.</p><p>“I trust you,” Niall said.</p><p>“I couldn’t. I can’t,” he corrected himself. “It doesn't work like that and you know it. He’s the one that would have to trust me.”</p><p>Before Louis got a reply, Zayn and Liam whistled at him from where they were entering the campsite. They had a couple potato sacks in hand, jogging to him quickly. </p><p>“What did you get?”</p><p>“Street markets were already closed. We broke into a nearby farm and stole some guavas and cantaloupes,” Liam offered Louis the sacks, his fingernails just as dirty as his, from trotting across the soil on all fours.</p><p>“Yeah, it was tough. There were other wolves there, so we had to be quick about shifting back,” Zayn lamented, still panting a little.</p><p>That would explain their unruly hairs and why their shorts were ripped like a bear had scratched at their torsos.</p><p>“Cheers, lads.” That’s all Louis said, with bigger worries in mind.</p><p>He left them and went back to Harry’s tent to offer him the fruits.</p><p>“Can I come in?” He whispered not to startle him.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>He unzipped the tent quickly and climbed in, feeling his hands cramp up from the weight of the fruits.</p><p>To his surprise, Harry was sitting up, looking considerably better and more conscious than he was before. The redness on his face was mostly gone and his eyes were actually focused on Louis’ face instead of staring at random points. He had taken his shirt off, revealing some bits of his walnut skin and protruding ribs. The rest was half covered by a thin bed sheet.</p><p>“You look better,” Louis verbalised his thoughts, eyebrows creasing with disbelief, trying to shut the volcano of paranoia in his head.</p><p>“I <em> feel </em> better,” Harry sucked in a breath, a bit overwhelmed by how Louis was practically looming over his body.</p><p>“Um,” Louis cleared his throat, “everything was closed because it’s, well, New Year’s in a small town,” he chuckled, “but the boys got you some fruits. I’m sure it will help you hydrate,” he extended his hands, offering him the potato sacks.</p><p>“That’s very kind of them,” he opened one of the sacks, fishing out a ripe apple guava. He rubbed it on the soft fabric of his pants and raised his arm to look at it, “I love these. Looks juicy.”</p><p>Louis watched as he bit into the fruit, his big teeth sinking slowly into the pulp. It was hard to fathom his assumptions were completely wrong.</p><p>“I’m glad,” he whispered unconsciously, as if not to disturb Harry’s calmness.</p><p>“Is it too late to join you guys for a swim?” Harry said in between bites, acting like he hadn’t passed out twice in the last thirty minutes.</p><p>“Not at all. If you’re sure you’re feeling all right, that is.”</p><p>“I am, just needed to recharge,” he grinned with some fruit caught in his front teeth.</p><p>“Recharge?”</p><p>“I’m not used to drinking that much,” he rolled his eyes warm-heartedly.</p><p>Louis had counted each and every time Harry had fished a bottle out of the igloo. He had had exactly two beers and three shots of vodka. With lemon. Louis knew he was bluffing.</p><p>“I see,” he said instead, knowing very well Harry’s reasons to lie weren’t of his business.</p><p>“Could you excuse me so I can get changed?” Harry bit into the fruit again, the cracking sound invading Louis’ ears without permission.</p><p>“Sure thing. Sorry.” Louis smiled a bit too awkwardly, staring at the clarity in Harry’s eyes.</p><p>Before he could turn to leave, Harry held his wrist. “You’ve been very good to me, Louis,” he gulped, “I’m grateful to be under your watchful eyes.”</p><p>Louis opened his mouth like a fish out of water, caught by surprise by the way Harry’s warm skin burned against his own.</p><p>Letting go of him, Harry added, “I know Niall isn’t particularly sensitive to certain things, so. I feel lucky to have you around. Thank you, really,” his smile lit up the entire tent like he had a beacon trapped in his throat.</p><p>“No problem at all,” Louis’ voice sounded the quietest it had ever been since Harry had met him. “Excuse me.”</p><p>Louis left the tent, zipping it behind him once again.</p><p>He stood up slowly, trying to weigh his theories. Was it possible that Harry was just ill from sunlight and their previous night’s bender? Absolutely. Was it likely, considering his symptoms and his medical history? Absolutely not.</p><p>“Hey,” Niall greeted him with a frown tugging on his lips, “how’s he doing?”</p><p>“He’s…fine. He’s absolutely fine. Better than ever, actually,” Louis replied nonchalantly, confusion stamped on his eyebrows.</p><p>“Wow. Guess we don’t have to worry, then?”</p><p>“Yeah. Perhaps, I was wrong,” Louis scratched his chin.</p><p>“Perhaps,” Niall agreed. “I’m glad Harry and I won’t be spending New Year’s stuck in traffic,” he cackled.</p><p>Louis didn’t think it was funny at all.</p><p>Soon enough, Harry came out of his tent, sporting his tiny orange swim shorts and a pair of heart-shaped, bright pink sunglasses.</p><p>“Harry!” Liam keened, waving at him from where he has his calves inside the river, Zayn beside him. “Come on, the water is so nice!”</p><p>Harry waved back as he walked through Louis and Niall, both looking at him a bit too dumbfounded. </p><p>“Aren’t you two coming?” He said, voice thick as honey on sandpaper.</p><p>Louis felt a sudden tightness in his own swim shorts. Harry’s body was mostly bare this time, no longer covered by the bed sheet. Even with all his sharp edges, what really made Louis lock his eyes was the softness of his hips. A handful of chubby skin sat above each one of his hip bones, starking his flanks with grace. His bone structure there was angled in a way Louis had never seen before, wide and bold around his flanks. Louis’ mouth went a little dry.</p><p>Not only that, but Harry’s breasts weren’t exactly the kind an alpha or a beta would have. They couldn’t look like that from working out – it had to be due to mammary ducts.</p><p>Louis knew what that meant, he was certain of it. He just couldn’t muster enough courage to verbalise it. Hadn’t it ever occurred to Niall? And, most importantly, how did it go completely unnoticed by Harry?</p><p>“Sure, we’ll be right there,” Niall just forced a smile at him and tugged Louis by his shorts so he wouldn’t blurt out anything he shouldn’t.</p><p>The water was a bit too cold for Harry’s liking, he realised when he dipped his toe in. He didn’t want to cause any more drama, though, so he kept his complaint to himself. He ran across the dock to get impulse and jumped in.</p><p>His body splashed water everywhere, wetting Liam and Zayn. He resurfaced with a smirk on his face. If he was feeling freezing cold, nobody needed to know.</p><p>“So?” He teased, fixing his sunglasses.</p><p>“You shit!” Zayn cleaned the water from his cheeks, “I’m coming for you!” He followed suit, jumping in with Liam.</p><p>Niall and Louis were paralysed, standing beside each other.</p><p>“Niall, have you ever noticed–”</p><p>“Louis.” He stopped him with a stern tone. “I get your wishful thinking, I really do. Harry’s very dreamy and you’re not the first one to wish he would present as an omega.”</p><p>“That’s not it at all!” Louis raised his voice, desperate to get his point across.</p><p>“Mate,” Niall held his shoulder, “it’s okay. You don’t have to put a cherry on top of anything for me. I can talk to him for you.”</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>“Yeah, put in a nice word for you. I can’t promise anything, but…”</p><p>“You don’t understand! I’m genuinely concerned, Niall. My sister went through the same thing during that fucking cruise, you know that,” his eyes started to tear up. “She was alone on her first heat and she nearly fucking died.”</p><p>“Don’t go there,” Niall hugged him like a vice, rubbing his back, “it’s fine. Today’s the last chapter of a very troubled year,” he talked softly in his ear. “Let’s try to keep it positive.”</p><p>Louis was silent for a couple seconds, smelling how Niall was trying to scent him to ease his discomfort. Very few alphas did so to other alpha peers and, to have the privilege to do it with a lifelong friend, was an indescribably sweet experience.</p><p>“Yeah, okay,” he sobbed on his shoulder, “you’re right.”</p><p>They stayed there for a moment, basking in each other. </p><p>“And stop scenting me,” Louis added with a laugh trapped behind his teeth, “you weirdo.”</p><p>Niall chuckled along, patting his back before letting go. “What do you say we get the kayaks out? The weather’s proper and we didn’t get to use them last year.”</p><p>“Read my mind, mate.”</p><p>Focused on the thought of some kayak action, Louis decided he wouldn’t think about Harry’s situation anymore. It was never his business in the first place and Niall was right to assume some kind of ulterior motive.</p><p>From that moment on, Louis keenly decided Harry Styles would no longer pester his mind.</p><p>•</p><p>The kayaks were quite aged – the paint was peeling off and the wooden seats squeaked every time someone sat down. There were four of them: yellow, red, black and turquoise, which meant one of the boys would have to chaperone Harry, considering he didn’t know the course of the water.</p><p>“Harry, do you have sunscreen on?” Niall checked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.</p><p>“Yes?” He looked the other way, finding the question to be quite intrusive.</p><p>“Why is your face all pink, then, you filthy liar?”</p><p>“It’s not.” If it wasn’t before, it certainly was now.</p><p>Louis snapped his neck to look at Harry so quickly that his head could have probably flown away. He blinked a few times, realised Harry was nearly as red as he was when he found him in the bathroom.</p><p>“Kinda is, mate.” Liam shrugged. “I have some here if you want–”</p><p>“Thank you,” Harry cut him off dryly, “but I’m fine as it is.”</p><p>Silence hung in the air for a moment, weighing heavily between Niall and Harry. </p><p>“I’ll have the turquoise!” Zayn raised his hand, calling dibs on his kayak as a way to break the tension.</p><p>“Louis can go with Harry,” Niall urged, probably, sticking to his promise from earlier, even if Louis had protested against it, “since he knows the place better than any of us.”</p><p>Louis was quick to shake his head, “I’m sure Harry can choose who–” </p><p>“Please?” Harry fixed his pink sunglasses on top of his head, puckering his mouth in a pout. </p><p>Ignoring Niall’s satisfied snort, Louis gulped. “If you’re okay with it.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Harry beamed. “I can’t wait. Which one are we picking?” He looked at the other three kayaks, analysing their beautiful paint work.</p><p>“Oh, this one,” Louis tapped the cask of his favourite kayak, “this is mine.”</p><p>“Yellow?”</p><p>“Yeah,” he guffawed. “Painted it with me mum when I was a kid.”</p><p>Harry’s eyes grew as he hunched down to look at the drawings more closely.</p><p>Amidst a sunflower field, two wolves ran side by side. The bigger one was ivory, taking the lead as the wind blew furiously against its fur. The smaller one was behind the ivory one, almost hiding between its legs. Its fur was chestnut coloured and it had a few streaks of caramel on its face, just like–</p><p>“Just like your hair,” Harry said, gesturing to Louis.</p><p>“Yeah,” the corner of his lip twitched. “She was very detail oriented. Finished it in less than a week, can you believe it?” He looked dreamily at the drawings, reminiscing her warmth.</p><p>“Impressive,” Harry stood up with a smile. “It’s very beautiful. And I’m sorry about her, I didn’t know.” Realisation fell upon him about Louis saying his dad missed him the most during the holidays.</p><p>“It’s okay, I hadn’t told you yet,” he smiled back.</p><p>“So, are you a shifter? Or is the drawing metaphorical?”</p><p>“No, I’m really a shifter. Have been since I was sixteen, actually. Liam and Zayn are too.”</p><p>Both boys smirked at him, shooting him thumbs up. Niall was just standing beside them, coasting, strategically studying Louis and Harry.</p><p>Harry’s jaw dropped. “This is amazing! Do you think you can show me sometime? I’ve never seen it up close.”</p><p>“Sure, why not?” Zayn gave him the shoulder, good-tempered.</p><p>As the boys untied their kayaks from the dock and wielded the oars, heavier conversations subsided and their usual light chatter with occasional bantering came back. Zayn was going off about how he had missed kayaking, while Liam and Niall tried to determine the direction of the wind by wetting their fingers with spit.</p><p>Harry’s face was still flushed and the colour was slowly migrating down to his shoulders. Louis shook it off, remembering the conversation he had with Niall. Harry was a grown up. He could look after himself.</p><p>They set on their way, appreciating how clear the water was. Harry and Louis took their time, while the other boys seemed more interested in betting who would get to the next dock first.</p><p>“I’ve never been in a boat before,” Harry confessed.</p><p>“Never?” Louis indulged his candidness. “How come?”</p><p>Harry shrugged, “I’m not sure. My mum was a bit controlling growing up and I guess I was too scared to question it.” He blinked slowly, like he was yearning for something Louis couldn’t specify.</p><p>“There’s a first time for everything,” he said as he rowed at a slow pace. “And you get to close the year with a new experience.”</p><p>Harry hummed in agreement, thinking about how his mum would absolutely lose it if she knew he was kayaking with a stranger.</p><p>He focused on his surroundings instead. Multicoloured pebbles graced the sand below the water, reflecting the sunlight like God had sprinkled salt over them.</p><p>“Oh,” Harry dipped his fingers into the water, scattering a fish shoal, “how beautiful…”</p><p>“It is,” Louis chuckled, “just don’t fall off the kayak, please.” He tried really hard not to stare at the way Harry’s nipples perked up when he touched the cold water.</p><p>“Why?” Harry sat up straight nonetheless, staring into Louis’ eyes through his sunglasses. “Wouldn’t you save me?”</p><p>“What?” </p><p>“If I fell,” he repeated it, probably having more fun than he should, “would you catch me?”</p><p>“Yes,” Louis answered promptly, an obvious answer to a stupid question, “you know I would.”</p><p>“I have nothing to worry about, then,” he theatrically put his hands behind his head, showcasing both of his dimples.</p><p>Louis nearly missed the water while rowing, starstruck at the way Harry’s muscles tensed with his movements. “You really don’t.”</p><p>They sat face to face in comfortable silence as the other boys rowed away, already far ahead of them. Louis wanted Harry to enjoy the experience rather than win whatever kind of race Niall had eagered the boys to take part in. </p><p>From how attentive Harry’s eyes were over his tawdry sunglasses, Louis thought it was working.</p><p>“Have you ever met someone like me?” </p><p>“Like you?” Louis asked. </p><p>Harry went beet red at the thought of having to say it out loud. He looked away, scratching his arm. “A <em> very </em> late bloomer.”</p><p>“Can’t say I have. Why do you ask?”</p><p>He inhaled deeply, pushing his glasses to his hair again. “Because you treat me differently.”</p><p>“Do not. Niall’s friends are my friends. He knows that. Wouldn’t have brought you along otherwise,” Louis reasoned as he concentrated on his rowing, far more affected by the conversation than he accepted to be.</p><p>“I’m your…” Harry wetted his lips with his tongue, staring unwaveringly at Louis’ quicksilver blue eyes, “friend?”</p><p>Louis nodded, “Don’t you want to be?”</p><p>“Oh, I do.” He touched the water again, letting it slide beneath his middle finger.</p><p>“You’re gonna fall off the kayak if you keep up with that.”</p><p>“We’ve been through this, alpha.”</p><p>Louis stopped his rowing, throwing both of the oars into the kayak with a loud thud, startling Harry.</p><p>“You’re keeping your hands inside the kayak or we’re turning back. What is it going to be?”</p><p>Harry’s face was turning red again, alarmingly fast, as he looked at Louis with so much intention it seemed like he wanted to see through him.</p><p>“I’m sorry...” </p><p>“Fuck. I'm the one who's sorry. Are you all right?” He bucked over to touch his forehead, but Harry flinched before he had the chance.</p><p>“I don’t know,” his breathing picked up and he took a hand to his own chest, checking his heart rate.</p><p>Harry wasn’t as oblivious to his nature as Niall or Louis believed him to be. Far from it, actually. He had sensed this many other times before.</p><p>He chucked his sunglasses into the kayak and closed his eyes, holding onto the wood with both of his hands, his knuckles turning white from the strength of his grip.</p><p>Cursing under his breath, Louis formed a conch with his hands to gather some water to cool Harry down. Carefully, but efficiently, he threw handful after handful all over him – shoulders, torso, thighs. Then, he matted his curls out of his face as he pressed a cold hand into his forehead.</p><p>Watching Harry was like attending a blooming flower viewing party. He tilted his head back, baring his throat as he involuntarily opened his legs, dancing with himself, like his limbs were petals adrift in the wind.</p><p>He was gorgeous, Louis realised. But he was also facing imminent death.</p><p>“Harry.” It came out as a whisper, a cry for an explanation.</p><p>Harry’s head snapped down again, facing Louis. His mouth was ajar, pink coloured lips matching the blush on his cheeks and the flush on his chest. He felt Louis’ gaze upon him, scowling slightly at his own vulnerability.</p><p>“What the hell are you doing?” Louis asked, lacking better words in his haste.</p><p>“I’m about to fall” Harry breathed out heavily, running his long fingers through the insides of his thighs, “and I need you to catch me.”</p><p>“I don’t think–”</p><p>“I’m telling you this while I’m still aware of my surroundings,” he sucked in a long and laborious breath, suppressing a moan in the back of his throat. “Don’t underestimate the value of my words while I’m still here.”</p><p>The seriousness in Harry’s voice was terrifying. In fact, Louis didn’t even think he was wired like this in the first place, stern enough to give him all these directions while being on the brink.</p><p>“Okay,” Louis nodded hurriedly, smelling the absurd scent coming from between Harry’s legs, “I’m here. I’m with you.”</p><p>“I know what happens now, but– but not after. I don’t know how I’ll behave,” his lips lopsided down, like he wanted to cry. “I wish I could control it to stall it some more–”</p><p>“Control?” Louis raised his voice, “Have you been avoiding your heat on purpose?” </p><p>Harry just looked at him. Really looked at him. There was pain in his watery eyes but, mostly, there was shame. </p><p>“I didn’t know what else to do,” he mumbled. “I thought I would be able to do it again, but you…” he elongated his neck again, smelling Louis with hunger.</p><p>Gulping, Louis scrambled to hold Harry’s head so he wouldn’t drop into his unconsciousness before finishing what he wanted to say. “What about me?”</p><p>“You–” he whined loudly, fresh tears forming on his glassy eyes, “you coaxed it out of me.”</p><p>“Harry, I didn’t do anything.” Louis carded his fingers through his curls, careful to balance the kayak in the process so he wouldn’t tip both of them. “You’re delirious already.”</p><p>“I’M NOT!” He sobbed, opening his legs, in an impulse, as much as the small space allowed him. “Your sweater. How you lifted me– from the bathroom floor. I only passed out again” he inhaled heavily “because I got lost in your scent.”</p><p>“Harry, love…” Louis cooed, holding back his own tears.</p><p>“And you brought me fruit. Guava’s my favourite,” he cried, vision blurry.</p><p>“Okay. I believe you, just don’t cry.”</p><p>“Don’t lie when you say you don’t look at me differently.” Harry was too astonished to realise Louis was struggling too.</p><p>“You’re right, I do,” he kissed his forehead firmly, tasting his sweat on his lips. “When I met you, I really <em> saw </em> you. I’m seeing you now. For who you are.”</p><p>He wasn’t sure how they had created this connection within mere hours and it was frightening as much as it was overwhelming.</p><p>“Alpha, please…” Harry closed his eyes again, moving his hands to palm at the front of his shorts.</p><p>“Shit, Harry, look at me,” Louis held his head in a vice like grip. “We’re in the middle of the river. We’ve already strayed a bit. I need to find us a dock to tie the kayak, do you understand?”</p><p>“A dock…”</p><p>“Yes. Can you hold on for me?”</p><p>“Mmhmm. I– don’t know. Maybe, if you let me…” he rubbed his hard cock over the fabric of his orange shorts suggestively.</p><p>“Touch yourself? Do you want to touch yourself?”</p><p>“God, please,” he rolled his hips, nearly tipping the kayak.</p><p>“Damn it, Harry!” Louis held on both sides of the wood, trying to stop the shaking. “Be fucking still.”</p><p>Harry moaned loudly, rubbing himself through the fabric with one hand and gripping one of his hardened nipples with the other. “Do that– that again.”</p><p>Louis paid him no mind, too busy with the task of locating a dock as quickly as possible. He started rowing like his elbows were water mowers, cutting through it like sharp blades. If his memory wasn’t failing him, there would be an old dock if he took the next left.</p><p>“Don’t ignore me.” Harry’s eyes started tearing up again. “Or my heart will shatter.”</p><p>“Your heart?” Louis mumbled with a light scoff, paying more attention to the waters ahead of them than to Harry’s nonsense.</p><p>Harry nodded frenetically, an enormous pout on his lips. “Need you to be rough with me again.”</p><p>Louis nearly dropped the oars in the water. </p><p>“Harry, shut up,” he barked with a clenched jaw, “I need to focus. Just give me one moment.”</p><p>“Yeah...like that…” Harry closed his eyes in ecstasy, palming his shorts clumsily.</p><p>His movements were uncoordinated and shaky, like he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. Then, it hit Louis like a hook of the right. Of course Harry didn’t know how to go about it. He had never touched himself before. At twenty-six, that was his very first experience with sex and with libido at all – with a man he had known for less than a day, kayaking on a river, in the epicentre of bucolic England.</p><p>“The dock’s right ahead, I can see it from here,” Louis said, having trouble concentrating as Harry’s slick started to drip from the holes of his shorts down the back of his thighs.</p><p>His scent was salty and heavy, like the beach during a high tide. Louis was getting dizzy himself, his inner wolf already trying to claw his way out. He had been with other omegas in their first heats before, but he had never encountered a scent so present like Harry’s.</p><p>“Harry,” Louis nudged him with his calf as he rowed, panting discreetly, “open your eyes, please. I can’t have you dropping while we’re still on the kayak. Just a bit more.”</p><p>Harry struggled to open his eyes, but managed to. He was still rubbing himself very ineffectively, shaky hands on the front of his shorts. He wanted to get his cock out, but he still found shame in the small slice of remaining consciousness he had.</p><p>“Yeah. Okay,” he murmured low, his voice thick and slurry.</p><p>“Good boy,” Louis praised him mindlessly, unaware of the effect of his words.</p><p>At that, Harry dropped. Louis caught the very millisecond in which his inner omega took hold of his mind – his irises turned into a dark shade of moss green, while his pupils adopted a feline shape, demilunes glinting with desire.</p><p>He took his hand inside the elastic of his shorts, touching his stone hard cock. “Alpha,” he mewled slowly, enunciating the consonants with difficulty as he closed his fist around himself.</p><p>“Don’t move your hand.” Louis averted, more controlled by possessive instincts than annoyance, his arms almost giving up from the effort he was putting into rowing.</p><p>Harry sucked in a breath of disappointment, looking up at him. “No moving?” He stilled his hand nonetheless.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Panic rose in Harry’s face. “But it hurts,” he begged even as he removed his hands from his cock, pulling it out of the shorts completely.</p><p>“I know it does. Be still.”</p><p>Harry nodded and tried to sit up straight, struggling with how wet he was, his thighs plastered to the kayak. His body was limp, barely holding itself up, but he still forced his spine to work, not wanting Louis to think badly of him.</p><p>“We’re here,” Louis announced, praying his dad hadn’t started working on repairing the old dock yet. He remembered that a few boards were loose and that the painting was faded, but it should still be good to use. “I’m going to tie the kayak, get off and, <em>only then</em>, help you out. Do you understand?”</p><p>With involuntary tears running down his coloured cheeks, Harry tried to nod, but his body would no longer obey his commands.</p><p>“I need you to tell me you understand what I’m saying,” Louis pressed him as he tied the kayak to the dock, grateful that it looked the same as it did last year, with no signs of human intervention.</p><p>Dumbly, Harry started sucking on his own pointer finger to alleviate the tension on his jaw.</p><p>“My God. Okay. Just stay there,” Louis said as he threw the oars on the dock, getting out of the kayak as quickly as he could without tipping Harry over.</p><p>He pulled the kayak as close as possible, reaching out for Harry. “Give me both of your hands.”</p><p>Shakily, Harry complied, holding both of Louis’ hands with a strong grip despite the lack of coherence in his movements.</p><p>“Good, that’s it,” Louis shifted his feet to accommodate Harry’s weight, “can you put your left feet on the dock?”</p><p>“Left foot,” he mimicked, managing to move it like Louis asked.</p><p>“Perfect. Now, I’m gonna pull you up so you can get your right foot out, okay?”</p><p>Harry nodded, resting almost his entire body weight on Louis’ hands.</p><p>Louis shivered at how warm Harry’s skin was. “On three.”</p><p>“On three,” he agreed. </p><p>“One. Two.” Louis flexed his knees to brace the impact. “Three!” </p><p>He pulled Harry out of the kayak, his body falling over his with a soft thud, crushing him a bit.</p><p>“Thank you,” Harry whispered as he looked into Louis’ eyes, towering over him, holding onto his shoulders with desperation.</p><p>From the way their bodies were glued to one another, Louis’ hardening cock was positioned right below Harry’s ass. Both of them noticed it at the same time, sharing a glance.</p><p>Experimentally, Harry rocked his hips down, the slick passing to the front of Louis’ bathing suit with ease, wetting all of his crotch area. Harry was staring down at it, hypnotised by how nicely his body was plastered to Louis’.</p><p>“You’re not going to get any relief from that,” Louis protested, even if he was particularly keen about it.</p><p>Harry looked up at him, eyes blown and dark. He was drooling a bit too, with saliva all over his bottom lip –  Louis’ very own implement of menace, tragically beautiful, like a broken porcelain doll. </p><p>“Fuck me,” he begged.</p><p>Louis felt a goosebump run all the way through his body and down his cock. “Breathe for me, Harry. You’re okay.”</p><p>“Please,” he whined loudly, rocking his hips down again as he levelled on Louis’ shoulders, “please, fuck me.” He threw his head back.</p><p>Slowly, Louis took hold of his hips, stopping them from moving. He turned their bodies, glueing Harry’s back to the dock instead and climbing on top of him. “I’m going to undress you.”</p><p>As Louis started to get Harry out of his damp shorts, he heard a quiet sniffle coming from him. He stopped, the shorts on his mid thighs.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Louis asked, with Harry’s hard cock on his face.</p><p>Harry shook his head and looked away, like he didn’t want to tell him.</p><p>“Love, I can’t have you feeling like this during your first heat. Why are you crying like that?” He pulled his shorts back up again, to his dismay.</p><p>“It’s just…” Harry hid his face on the crook of his arm.</p><p>“Go on,” Louis encircled his wrist and pinned his arm beside his body so he could see his face, “what is it?”</p><p>A stubborn tear ran across Harry’s cheek. He didn’t look at Louis when he spoke. “It’s my first time. And you don’t even want to kiss me.”</p><p>Taken aback, Louis raised both of his eyebrows in surprise. </p><p>“I didn’t know you wanted to be kissed,” he said simply. “That’s not what you asked me to do.”</p><p>Harry looked for his eyes, embarrassment tinting his skin. “I do,” he confessed. “Want to be kissed. By you.”</p><p>Louis found odd how badly Harry craved more than just sex, but genuine attention. After so many years stalling his heat and suppressing his needs, he had become terminally touch starved, Louis realised. It was quite comic that he was literally dripping slick and simply asking to be kissed.</p><p>“You have to tell me what you want. This” Louis ran both of his hands on Harry’s torso from down up, touching his hip bones, his stomach, both of his breasts, his shoulders and, then, stopping on his mouth “is your territory. You have to allow me in.”</p><p>“Okay,” Harry nodded, shivery from how Louis touched him, his nipples hardening. “Can you kiss me now?”</p><p>Without any more words, Louis put a hand on Harry’s right cheek, cradling him softly.</p><p>“Wait,” Harry said. “But you can’t laugh at me.”</p><p>Considering every time Louis had been with an omega in heat before, he was quite impressed by Harry’s ability to process complex feelings and speak elaborated sentences. His mind was far away, of course, it could be seen in how his eyes were animalistic, in the subtle way he just couldn’t stop rocking his hips and in the absurd amount of pheromone his glands were producing. Even still, he was navigating through what was left of his consciousness with grace, succeeding at asking Louis, with all his heart, not to laugh at him.</p><p>“Why would I?” </p><p>“Because I don’t know how to kiss.”</p><p>“Well,” Louis smiled, “good thing I do, then.”</p><p>He stared down at Harry’s cupid’s bow, exactly where the both halves of his upper lip met. His mouth was obscene, red by how much Harry had sunk his teeth into it, and shining with spit. Louis placed one hand on his hip and the other on his jaw. He brought his body impossibly closer to his own, pressing their hard ons together.</p><p>Slowly, he pressed his own lips onto Harry’s, relishing on how plump and slippery they were.</p><p>Eagerly, Harry kissed him back. The wetness of the kiss echoed through the empty dock, vulgar and experimental. There was no tongue, just lips and an occasional intrusion of Harry’s front teeth, clashing against Louis’. Harry was clearly clueless, but his enthusiasm and responsiveness made up for the lack of technique. </p><p>Both of Harry’s arms were resting on the dock, by the sides of his body, perfectly still like a mannequin.</p><p>Louis pulled away, ignoring Harry’s whining protests. “You can touch me too, you know?”</p><p>A beat passed.</p><p>Hesitantly, Harry raised his left hand, placing it on Louis’ jaw, exactly like he had done to him before. “Like this?”</p><p>“Yeah. However you want, really,” Louis gave him a quick peck on the lips. </p><p>“Okay,” Harry giggled, doing the same with his right hand. He kissed Louis too, savouring his mouth, famished by all of him.</p><p>Taking advantage of Harry’s newfound comfort, Louis deepened the kiss, pining Harry against the wooden boards as he put his tongue in his mouth.</p><p>Surprised, Harry hummed in appreciation, trying to use his own tongue as well.</p><p>It was messy and noisy, but the movements felt so good that they were on the borderline of complimentary. Louis’ cock was completely hard at that point and he took the opportunity to grind it against Harry with will, trying to lessen the tension he was feeling.</p><p>He bit Harry’s bottom lip and pulled away again. “Can I undress you now, love?”</p><p>Gulping, Harry nodded cautiously. “Please. Quickly.”</p><p>Louis nodded and climbed down, engulfing one of Harry’s nipples with his mouth. </p><p>Harry gasped, taking both hands to Louis’ unruly hair.</p><p>Louis sucked on it messily as he started to remove Harry’s shorts – at that point, completely plastered to his thighs from the amount of slick. He tapped Harry’s hip twice so he’d get the hint and lift his legs.</p><p>The shorts came out, finally, Harry’s hard cock springing free and slapping against his abdomen.</p><p>“Love your tits,” Louis confessed against his stiff nipple, massaging the other one. “They’re so big. Christ.”</p><p>Harry moaned as he blushed, looking down at Louis. “Yeah?” He asked dumbly as Louis shifted breasts to suck on the other one.</p><p>“Yeah,” he answered in between licks, “knew you were an omega right away.”</p><p>“You– you did?”</p><p>Louis grinned, “I did. All pretty with your nursing breasts...” he kneaded Harry’s flank a little too brutally “and your childbearing hips.”</p><p>“Fuck,” Harry’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as some precome shooted from his dick. </p><p>“Exactly,” Louis keened, “gonna fuck you so good.”</p><p>Before Harry could say anything, Louis kissed his lips again. He held Harry’s cock, giving it a few lazy tugs. Slowly, he slid his hand over the head and, then, down the shaft.</p><p>Harry dick wasn’t big, as expected for an omega, but it was the most enticing one Louis had ever seen. It was relatively thick in Louis’ hand, sticking with precome and sweat. He sunk his thumb into the slit, coaxing a hiss from Harry.</p><p>“Not good?” Louis asked, doing it again. </p><p>Harry moaned gutturally. “Too good– my stomach…” he trailed, trying to describe the pleasure coiling up in his pelvis, panting, as Louis masturbated him. </p><p>“That’s what I thought,” Louis smirked. He backed away from Harry’s body, kneeling beside him. “Want you on all fours for me.”</p><p>“Oh, o–okay.”</p><p>With clammy limbs and a puddle of slick under them, Harry unsteadily scrambled to obey, nearly slipping. The wooden boards under his knees were quite uncomfortable, but that was the least of his worries – what was really hammering on his brain was the fact he’d be on full display.</p><p>Right there, on all fours, badly curved and shaky, Harry was confusing Louis’ senses. He smelled like an omega, clearly, pheromones reeking of desperation, desire and instinct. But, he also smelled like a boy. Musky sweat clouded the air, heavy with both insecurity and boldness. Harry had many layers, Louis thought. And he couldn’t wait to dive in him and get acquainted with all of them.</p><p>“Yeah, like that.” He praised as he separated Harry’s knees to see his hole. “Curve your lower back for me, love. Ass up.”</p><p>Harry went beet red at that, suddenly aware of what was happening. He was showing his <em> ass </em> to someone. A body part he was ashamed of even staring at into the mirror. Louis was getting it all. </p><p>“Okay,” he said, more determined to get fucked than to let his traitorous thoughts sabotage him. He moved to support himself on his forearms instead of his hands, and arched his back, looking back to gauge Louis’ reaction. “Is this okay?”</p><p>Louis cursed under a breath. “It’s perfect. Can I touch you here?” He asked for Harry’s permission, kneading one of his ass cheeks, the slick glueing to his hand.</p><p>“Please, alpha. I’ll do anything,” he cried a bit, sniffling, still looking at Louis from over his shoulder.</p><p>“Anything,” Louis mumbled to himself, imagining all the possibilities he could explore if they were in a different situation. “Sorry I don’t have any pillows,” he apologised to Harry with a regretful sigh.</p><p>“No, it’s…” Harry shifted, looking down at his hands as he felt his knees ache already, “it’s quite alright.”</p><p>In disbelief, Louis chuckled. He took his own shorts off, grimacing at how sensitive his dick was from being neglected for so long – he could only imagine how the omega before him was feeling – and placed it under one of his knees. He did the same with Harry’s shorts for the other leg.</p><p>“Better, love?”</p><p>“Much,” Harry looked back at him again. He shot him a grin, wide and flirtatious, with both of his dimples on display.</p><p>Louis swooned.</p><p>“If you don’t hurry, though, I’m going to pass out,” Harry hushed, with his brows furrowed and an enormous knot on his throat.</p><p>“Shit. Okay.”</p><p>Not losing another second, Louis separated Harry’s ass cheeks, nearly drooling over at how strong and utterly edible he smelled down there. At that, Harry bucked into his hands, desperate.</p><p>Louis took his pointer finger to his hole, inserting just the tip, holding his cheek out with the other hand.</p><p>“Christ,” he cursed as he started doing a circling motion to loosen his muscles, “can’t believe I’m the first one,” he marvelled to himself</p><p>“More. More, please,” Harry pushed his hips back once more. “Shove it all in, alpha… I can’t take it anymore,” he cried, voice breaking.</p><p>Instead of one, Louis decided to be benevolent and use three of his fingers.</p><p>Harry gasped loudly, positively surprised. Louis knew that, whenever Niall and the boys were, they certainly heard Harry’s moan. His inner wolf kind of <em> hoped </em> they did.</p><p>‘<em>Mine</em>,’ it growled inside his chest.</p><p>Overwhelmed, Louis kissed the end of Harry’s spine as he finger fucked his hole, loving how it was clenching around his three fingers like a vice. “I got you. Won’t let you fall,” he whispered. A secret.</p><p>At that point, Harry was far gone again, just like he had been on the kayak. His eyes were half lidded and, if it wasn’t for the fact his elbows were glued to the dock with sweat and slick, his body would have given up. His legs were limp and Louis was doing his very best to hold them up as he fucked into him.</p><p>Then, without warning, he removed his fingers and replaced them with his tongue. </p><p>“Oh!” Harry lifted his head from in between his arms, gasping at the warmth from Louis’ tongue invading him.</p><p>“Good omega,” Louis ran his mouth against Harry’s puckered hole, not caring about the beard burn, “so responsive.” He spat on it, crudely, and added one finger beside his tongue.</p><p>If Louis thought Harry smelled like heaven, he tasted like a choir of hallelujah on a sunny Sunday. It was sweet – but not overly, just enough to make his tongue want more – and a little sour, the kind of flavour that burned on his tongue like sacrilegious honey, a kind of forbidden sin he would willingly die for committing. </p><p>Being rimmed, Harry’s body officially gave up. His knees relaxed completely. Luckily, Louis held him by the hips before his bones could hit the wood. </p><p>“Not like that, baby. Let me flip you,” he urged without waiting for a reply, knowing Harry probably wasn’t in conditions of providing any. </p><p>He took hold of Harry’s body with gentle hands, flipping him carefully so he wouldn’t overwhelm him more. </p><p>Harry just let himself be handled, limbs being dragged like a thread. He wanted to tell Louis that he needed his knot or he would positively faint, but no words found his mouth. </p><p>“Just gonna fuck you, love. You can’t afford it any longer,” Louis lamented not being able to prepare Harry for his knot better. “Not if you’re like this.”</p><p>Blinking mindlessly, Harry was just staring at the sky, shaking a bit, both from the severity of his heat and due to the fact that his sweat and slick had started to dry on his skin.</p><p>Louis tugged on his own cock, spreading some of Harry’s slick on the head.</p><p>Hearing the wet noises, Harry managed to move his eyes to take a proper look at Louis’ dick. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it sure wowed him. Not only he was incredibly long, but he was also obscenely thick. As Harry watched Louis masturbate himself quickly, a squirt of slick came out of his ass, forcing a moan out of him.</p><p>“Alpha.” He rolled his eyes involuntarily, his hips jolting with need.</p><p>“Got you.” Louis raised both of Harry’s legs and placed them on his shoulders, lifting his hip. Then, he shoved his entire dick into Harry’s wet ass. No class, no delay, no ceremony. In a matter of seconds, Harry was snugly sitting on Louis’ crotch.</p><p>Harry screamed, the relief taking control of his body and mind. He wasn’t sure why he had been so scared of sex, why he had put off his heat for so long. If he had had any idea it would feel <em> that </em> good, he would have given in to it years ago.</p><p>“Harder,” he begged as his upper back was being properly dragged back and forth on the wooden boards. He could no longer tell what was pleasure, pain or biological relief, it was just one big burst of newfound emotions blooming inside his chest cavity, like a carnivore plant ready to devour him.</p><p>Louis did go harder, not quite fathoming how Harry’s minuscule hole was taking his cock, but fascinated by it nonetheless. “Gonna– bruise your back like this,” he added with worry.</p><p>“Want you– to bruise me,” Harry said, massaging both of his nipples as he stared right into Louis’ eyes, marvelling at the rusticity of his tattoos and bulgy arms.</p><p>Harry’s candid appetite for destruction sent a lightning bolt down Louis’ dick and he grunted, letting his inner alpha speak. He fastened the pace, hearing Harry’s vertebrae being rubbed against the wood. The thought that it should probably be off putting was swatted away by the insane way Harry was moaning, rhythmic gasps, orchestrated by Louis’ brute thrusts.</p><p>“I’m gonna come,” he said stupidly, like Louis hadn’t noticed how his hole had started to clench and unclench around his dick desperately, “can I?”</p><p>“Fuck,” Louis cursed to the sky, too drunk on how Harry was asking him for permission. He looked back down at Harry’s face, his knot growing from seeing the tears rolling down his crimson face. “Yeah. You– deserve it. Come for me.”</p><p>Louis reached for Harry’s dick, giving it a few short and tight strokes, coaxing the orgasm out of him.</p><p>At that, Harry’s entire body jolted up in a spasm, like he had been shocked or was having a convulsion. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he came, shooting off thick white ribbons all over his own stomach, chin and cheeks. </p><p>All of Harry’s muscles contracted at once, making Louis’ brain proper spiral with how impossibly tight his ass got.</p><p>He hissed. “Look at your fucking hips,” he praised him in between thrusts, kneading the soft chub that sat on his hip bones. “Want to fuck a pup into you so bad.”</p><p>Harry whined loudly, with his eyes still closed, as sweat ran down his temple. He forced himself to look at Louis because he wanted to frame this moment in his memory.</p><p>“Gonna knot you.” Louis searched for Harry inside his enormous green eyes, but he was no longer there. “Do you– understand me, omega?”</p><p>“Knot me,” he begged, responding to the only two words in that sentence that made sense in his brain. He was staring blankly into the sky, which was already darkening, the last sprinkles of sun washing his pale body in a golden light. He was still mindlessly rubbing his hard nipples, completely unaware of its effect on Louis’ instincts.</p><p>Louis fucked him fast and hard, making wet suction noises echo throughout the desert dock. His cock had grown nearly twice in thickness where it would be tied to Harry, a fat bulb adorning it.</p><p>Harry managed to voluntarily contract his hole, hungry for Louis’ come to be trapped inside him.</p><p>Gasping, Louis moved to brace Harry’s legs around his own hips, bucking forward to kiss him. He did so hurriedly, struggling to keep up with it as he thrusted into Harry’s ass.</p><p>With an inhuman grunt, Louis started to come. He held Harry’s hips down, marking angry red fingertips on his skin, as he rode his orgasm, scenting him in the process.</p><p>From all the things Harry had read about heats and ruts throughout his entire life, he had never seen anything about how <em> much </em> an alpha could come. The fact that Louis was still shooting up inside him scared the living soul out of his body. He was scared that it would leak or that it would hurt later but, mostly, that he wouldn’t learn how to live without the feeling.</p><p>With that thought in mind, Harry came again, completely untouched.</p><p>Louis smirked down at him, panting desperately as he tied his knot inside his ass. It locked both of them together, probably, for two to four hours. They just had to make sure Louis would be ready to go again before Harry had another heat wave.</p><p>Careful not to dislodge himself, Louis shifted Harry’s body so he could spoon him, hugging his cold shoulders and rubbing his arms to warm him up. </p><p>“Did so well for me,” he kissed his temple messily, still out of breath, “came so beautifully. Like a professional omega, can you believe it?” He peppered his shoulder blade with small kisses as Harry just hummed in response, a little smile in his voice, as he already drifted away to sleep.</p><p>Louis swooned, extremely high on the feeling, still processing the best lay he ever had with the most fantastic boy he ever met.</p><p>•</p><p>Louis woke up first, three hours later, if he still knew how to tell the time from the sun.</p><p>His knot had already gone down and his dick was mostly soft. Leisurely, he pulled out of Harry, amused at the amount of come and slick that came out with the change in pressure. </p><p>“Harry, we have to get back to the camp,” he ran his hand through his sweaty hair, moving the curls out of his face. “It’s really, really late. I won’t be able to see the water if we don’t go back now.”</p><p>Harry’s eyes opened up and Louis was met with the most beautiful smile. “Kiss?” He asked.</p><p>With a flutter in his stomach, Louis smiled back and kissed him gingerly, humming into his warm mouth. There was no rush and barely any noise this time, just the quiet slide of their lips, echoing into twilight.</p><p>“Do we have to go now?” Harry protested, caressing Louis’ face gently.</p><p>“Yeah,” Louis nodded, a bit worried. “We should have gone an hour ago, actually. I also have to feed you and clean you before you… you know, drop again.”</p><p>Harry went a little shy at the imagery of that. “Can you help me up?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Louis got up, trying not to mind his own soft cock hanging between his legs, and offered his hands for Harry to take.</p><p>Harry reached for them, getting up shakily and hissing at the bruises on his back. His entire spine hurt, along with his neck and his head. He craved a warm bath, something he wouldn’t be getting until he was back to London.</p><p>“There you go,” Louis straightened his shoulders softly.</p><p>Like a magnet, Harry’s eyes went straight to Louis’ cock. He blushed immediately. “It’s big even like this,” he sounded terrified, but there was a tint of humour in his tone.</p><p>“Well,” Louis shrugged in amusement, “I did mean it when I said you did a good job.”</p><p>Both laughed at that, but Harry hid his face in his hands. “God… I still can’t believe it.”</p><p>“Me neither, love. Me neither.”</p><p>When they were back on the kayak, wearing their dirty shorts and reminiscing about the day, Louis brought up that they would have to get Harry to take emergency contraception.</p><p>“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” he shook it off.</p><p>“How come?” Louis looked puzzled as he rowed back to the camp, exhausted.</p><p>Harry inhaled before speaking, searching for the right words. “I’ve been on contraception for a while now.”</p><p>Raising both of his brows, Louis didn’t know what to ask first.</p><p>“I found out I was an omega four years ago,” Harry sighed, looking at the black mirrors of water that reflected the little stars above. He knew better than to touch them with his hand by then.</p><p>“I didn’t smell anything on you, though,” Louis reasoned.</p><p>“Scent neutraliser. I’ve been borrowing Niall’s.”</p><p>“Wow,” Louis breathed out. “I don’t even know what to say.”</p><p>“I guess part of me irrationally thought that it would change if I suppressed it long enough.” He shook his head, laughing without humour.</p><p>“What would?”</p><p>Harry looked directly at Louis, feeling sorry for himself. “Me being an omega.”</p><p>“Oh, love…” Louis cooed. “I’m sorry you've ever had a single bad thought about who you are. That should be a federal offence.”</p><p>At that, Harry snorted. “It’s okay. I met a man that is making me have a change of heart.”</p><p>“A man?” Louis wiggled his eyebrows, biting back a smile. “Is he hot?”</p><p>“A scorcher.”</p><p>“Does he treat you well?”</p><p>“Like a princess,” he faked flipping his hair.</p><p>“Come on, now,” he joked. “He has to have a flaw!”</p><p>“Hmm…” Harry pretended to think with a finger on his chin. “He usually has dirt under his nails,” he cackled loudly.</p><p>“Hey!” Louis laughed along as he rowed. “I only had it because I had to shift earlier.”</p><p>“Shift? Why?”</p><p>“It’s a bit embarrassing.”</p><p>“Come on, Louis,” Harry poked his calf with his foot, “thought you and I had bonded over freezing on an abandoned dock.”</p><p>“The truth is I surmised you were an omega as soon as Niall introduced you. You were all flushed and your pupils were as big as the moon… I feared you’d go into heat, so I shifted to run a perimeter across the camp to ensure it was safe for you,” he went a bit shy, shrinking his shoulders, too foreign in making emotional confessions.</p><p>“Safe for me?”</p><p>He nodded. “To make sure there were no alphas in rut around that could come running in case they smelled you. Or something like that.”</p><p>Harry’s jaw was on the floor, but his heart was flooded with adoration. “I don’t…” he shed a tear, still merciless to his hormonal roller coaster, “I don’t know how to thank you, Louis, really.”</p><p>“Nah, don’t mention it, love.”</p><p>Harry just grinned at him, all soft and boyish, and asked for another kiss, to which he complied with absolute joy.</p><p>•</p><p>Later that night, Louis explained what had happened to Niall and the boys. Niall said he always had suspected, but that it was never up to him to rush Harry or to confront him about it. Liam and Zayn just congratulated him on getting laid on New Year’s.</p><p>They all ate together, chattering lightly. The dinner was Cup Noodles, straight from the cup. Niall ate his beloved Cheetos and Harry had a guava and a cantaloupe for dessert. </p><p>Louis and Harry showered together – no funny business, just an efficient rinse so Harry wouldn’t drop while showering. When Louis noticed Harry was getting oddly flushed again, he quickly retreated to his tent with him.</p><p>He had to ask Harry to excuse his mess and explain that he was just looking for an emergency heat kit. Harry may or may not have cried again.</p><p>Harry was mid heat wave, one a lot more mild than the first, as Louis fucked into him. He was moaning shamelessly, on all fours, holding himself open with both hands.</p><p>When he came, literal fireworks took place in the sky, announcing the New Year. For the first time, Harry wasn’t scared of waking up the following day. Actually, he was looking forward to it. He would call his mum first thing in the morning and tell her all about it. But, mostly, he would have his own story to tell, co-written by a certain man with wondrous eyes and a heart of gold.</p><p>By sunrise, Louis, Liam and Zayn shifted so Harry could see it, like he had asked. His heart grew two times in size when he noticed how accurate the drawing Louis’ mum had done was to his fur. As he stroked it, memorising the patterns on Louis' face, staring into his sky blue eyes, he realised that there were many first times he still wanted to try. And that applying to law school in Manchester seemed like a good start.</p><p>•</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed it, don't forget to leave me kudos (and, if you're extra nice, a comment)! You can reblog the fic's post <a href="https://hershelsue.tumblr.com/post/640202416419143680/the-flower-that-blooms-in-adversity-by-docklands#notes">here</a> and talk to me <a href="https://hershelsue.tumblr.com/ask">here</a>. All my love! ♡</p></blockquote></div></div>
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